Arch-supporting shoe



June 29 1926.. 1,590,852

J. RAKONICK ARCH SUPPORTI NG SHOE Filed Dec. l0, 1925 Patented June ze, A192e.

UNITEDl STATES PAA . '1,590,852y ENT omer..

Josnrn Banamex, or sr. Louis, mssounr. l

nncmsurron'rme suon. l

Application led December 10, 1925. `Serial No. 74,580.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe constructions and particularly to a shoe embodying a built-ih and adjustable arch supporting structure.

This invention is designed particularly to In addition to the vabove disadvantages experienced in the manufacture of shoes of thls` type, it has been found difficult in constructing the shoe in accordance with the above mentioned patent to producel Suffi-v ciently smooth edgesl at the front and rear of the primary arch supporting strip which will be comfortable to the foot of the wearer of the shoe through `continued use' thereof.

As a result, the shoe construction of the present .invention has been developed with a view ofelimina'ting waste and simplifying the several operations necessary in the structure'of the shoe for reducing; the cost of manufacture of the shoe and in addition providing a structure which is comfortable to the foot of the wearer throughout the Wearing life of the shoe.

This invention in overcoming the above mentioned disadvantages in an arch supporting'shoe construction embodies the rovision of a main vinner soleon whic is mounted an arch supporting base member throughout the archv portion of the innery sole, having a'portion extending upwardly along the inner side of the shoe, while a supplemental inner sole formed with an extension 1s superposed on top of the main inner vsole and secured thereto ina suitable manner to provide a transversely extending openended pocket throughout the arch portion of the shoe on top of said main inner soleA and the base member for receiving inserts adapted to adjustably vary the height of the arch of the shoe. In this wayshoe constructions can be economically manufactured which incorporate an arch supporting structure for a minimum low arch and which is provided with the pocket for receiving plication the insert adapted-to lincrease the height of the arch supportingportion ofthe shoe to ifi-t tthe Vvarying-types fjarches in the human lWitlrthese and numerous other objects in y View, the invention `is more particularly pointed out 1n the vfollowing detailed' descrlption and claim directed to 'a preferred form of the'invention, it being understood, however, thatvarious changes may be made in the size, shape and relation vof the parts 1n the manufacture .of shoe constructions without departing fromthespirit and scope of the invention as herein set forth. v

In the drawing forming part of'this ap- Figure -1 is a lvertical'longitudinal section i through a shoe constructionembodying .the

.improvementsl of this invention.

F1g.'2 is a vertical transverse. section through the arch portion of the shoe taken approximately on the line 2-2foff Fig. 1.

F1g. 3 1s a plan vlew of the innersole and arch supporting structure vof the shoev in` detached relation from av shoe structure, showing portions ofthe supplemental inner sole broken away for clearly illustrating the relation between the main inner f sole, the arch supporting base member, and insert positioned within the pocket formed on' the top of said main inner sole. 1

` In -the shoel construction illustrated in thel `draw1ng,1 indicates the outer sole,- 2 the upper, and 3 the main inner sole,which are all formed and united in any desired and Well known manner now used in the art in the construction of a. shoe.

In constructing fa. shoe in accordance with l this improvedinventionl for embodying an arch supportlng structure therein, an arch Isupporting base member 4 is mounted on the main inner sole 3 on the upper face thereof prior to theincorporationof the main inner sole in the shoe construction and before the upper is secured thereto. This arch supporting base extends thruout the arch portion of the inner sole along the inside edge thereof as clearly shown in Fi 3 `and `is secured to the inner sole, prefera ly by rowsof stitching, as indicated at 5, one of which is positioned and extends along the edge portion of the main inner sole while the other secures the base member along the central portion of the main inner sole and the edge portion of said base member.

One edge portion of the base member 4 is curved as indicated at 6 and projects beyond the inside edge of the arch sup orting portion of the inner sole and in the nished shoe construction extends upwardly along the inside of the upper of the shoe as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

This arch supporting base member may greater section in the central portion thereo and is preferably of' tapering section towards the edge portion preferably terminating in a feather edge. This member 4 forms th main arch supporting element of the shoe construction and is adapted to provide a support for arches of minimum height in a finished shoe construction.

In the construction of shoes in accordance with this invention, it has been found that what would otherwise be waste leather, can

be utilized for forming these arch supporting base members by shaping the same to the finished form shown in the drawing.

A supplemental insole is indicated at 7 which is co-extensve with the main inner sole 3 and the base member 4 as vclearly shown in the drawing, particularly Fig. 3. This supplemental inner sole is preferably constructed of relatively thin leather or other suitable material which will provide a iinished inner `surface in the bottom of the shoe roviding a comfortable surface against the foot of a wearer. This supplemental inner sole is provided throughout the inside edge of the arch portion wlth an extension indicated a-t 8 corresponding in shape to the extending portion 6 of the base member 4 and adapted tooverlie the same and .extend upwardly throughout the arch portion of the shoe along the' inside of the upper. This extension 8 is also preferably providedlwith a feather edge in order that the edge portion will snugly lit inside of the upper and provide a smooth inner surface in the shoe.

This supplemental inner sole is attached at its forward end to the forward end of the main inner sole preferably by a row of stitching as indicated at 9, which will prevent relative movement between the inner soles in the completed shoe construction. The supplemental inner sole is further secured to the main inner sole along a line extending transversely ofthe shoe and slightly forward of the arch portion of the shoe and the base member 4, by. rivets, as shown clearly at 10 in Fig. 3 or if desired, a row of stitching could be used in a similar manner.

The supplemental inner sole 7 is secured to the mam inner sole 3 in the above described manner before the inner sole assembly is assembled with the other part of the shoe structure. The forward end ofthe supplemental inner sole between the rivets strength ofthe bond between the main and supplemental innensoles.

Thls inner sole structure is now embodied 1n the shoe construct-ion and the same brought to the completed form in the usual manner known in the art and during which completion of the shoe, the nails or other securmg means indicated at 11 are driven throu h the heel area of both the supplementa and main inner soles as well as the main outer; sole for securing these partsv in assembled shoe formingrelation and lalso for securing the heel portion to the shoe. This operation of constructing the heel portion of the shoe is well known in the art and forms no part of the present invention aslde from its utilization for securing the sulpplemental inner sole to the main inner so e.

It will be seen that in the completed shoe construction asshown inFigs. 1 and 2, an open ended pocket will be formed between the maln and supplemental inner soles on top of the main inner sole and on ^top of the arch supporting base member 4 which extends transversely of the shoe throughout the arch portion thereof as well as the portion extend# lng upwardly along the inside of the upper of the shoe. This pocket is adapted to receive arch supporting inserts of any desired size and shape -or sections as indicated atV 12, which may be positioned only on the inside portion of the shoe as shown in the drawlng or if necessary, in the'treatment of broken arches may extend entirely from one end of the pocket to the other throughout the portions extending along the inside of the upper as well asthose portions over the main inner sole.

It has been found in the manufacture' of a shoe of the` character above described that the shaping operation for the arch supptiirt ling structure' is substantially simp from that disclosed in my prior patent above mentioned, which material reduces the cost of construction of the shoe in addition eliminating considerable waste and bein ada ted for utilizing waste material whic or inarily occurs in the construction of shoes without arch supporting structures.

A'completed shoe construction according to this invention will form an arch supporting shoe adapted for what may be termed a normally low arch, so that the shoe as manufactured and sold to the trade without inserts in the pocket formed on top of the base member and main inner sole will su port a foot havin a normally low arch 1n a most comfortab e manner to the wearer and in which the entire inner surface of the shoe will be smooth throughout the wearing life of the shoe.

When the retailer sells shoes constructed with this arch supporting structure incorporated therein, it will usually be necessary t'o make an examination of the customers feet and determine the character of arch, and where the arch is higher than a normally low arch, then supplementary arch supporting insert-s of a desired and predetermined shape are insertedV within the transversely extending open ended pocket so as to raise the arch portion of the shoe to comfortably fit the arch of the foot of the customer.

Where a customer has broken arches or is ilat footed, the arch supporting structure as built into the shoe will be suiicient to start a preliminary treatment of the foot for restoring the normal arch thereto, and in such a case shoes will be sold by the retailer to the customer and worn a determined length of time for preliminary treatment of the broken arches. Following this preliminary treatment, the customer returns to the retailer who upon making the necessary examination determines the further treatment necessary and then places inserts of any desired form or shape in the pocket on top of the main inner sole and the base member so as to increase the height of the arch portion of the shoe for further treating the foot `of the wearer and for restoring the arch to its normal state. The customer then continues to wear the shoes for the further treatment and restoration of the normal arch to the foot and after the results have been successfully obtained, continues to wear the shoe for holding the arch of the foot in this nor.- mal position.

From the above description it should be appreciated that a substantially improved shoe construction has been provided incorporating an arch supporting structure in which the base member 4 forms the main base for the arch supporting structure of the' shoe and for retaining the arch of the shoe in proper shape. Further,l the shoe is constructed as above described and in addition to providing a most comfortable fit on the foot of a wearer, can be manufactured. at a' minimum cost in view of the association of the several parts employed in constructing the shoe for eliminating and utilizing what would be otherwise Waste material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is A shoe having a built-in adjustable arch support, comprising an outer sole, a main inner sole, and an upper secured together in associated shoe forming relation, an arch supporting base superposed on and secured to said main inner sole and having a portion extending from the inside edge of the main inner sole throughout the arched portion of the shoe, extending upwardly along the inside of the upper for reinforcing the arch of the shoe and supporting the arch supporting structure, a supplemental inner sole superposed on the main inner sole and co-extensive therewith and having an extension overlying the extending portion of the' base on t e main inner sole, means securing the main and supplemental inner soles together at their forward ends, means securing said main and supplemental inner soles together along a transversely extendn portion thereof at .the forward portion o said extension and base, and means securing the supplemental inner sole and the main lnner sole to the remaining shoe structure throughout the heel portion of the shoe, whereby a transversely extending open ended pocket is' formed throughout the arch portion of the shoe on top of said base adapted to receive karch supporting inserts.

In test1mony whereof I aix my signature.

JOSEPH RAKONICK. 

